


Three Months Later

by eve_23



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: M/M, V-day changed some people, Violence, but it's not exactly brainwashing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-10-26 00:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10775889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eve_23/pseuds/eve_23
Summary: It's three months later, and Harry Hart has been found alive. Alive, but...different.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my fist multi-chapter fic and I'm a little nervous about it. Cross your fingers for me, okay?

**One**

Eggsy had a week off. He hadn’t had time off since V-Day, and…well, it was Merlin who eventually ordered him to go home and rest.

“But…”

“Eggsy, I appreciate your enthusiasm. Go home.”

“But I can help. I’m not even tired. Come on.”

“Go home.”

“But there is nothing to do at home.”

“Exactly. Go home.”

So Eggsy was at home. It’s not that he didn’t like home, but after three straight months of running, dodging bullets, _firing_ bullets and yes cozying up—in every sense of the word—with the hottest men and women around the world,  being confined to a house, even if it was a bigger house than what he was living before, wasn’t exactly a step up.

“Eggsy, if you have some time off, you could help me.”

His mum was intent on redecorating Daisy’s bedroom. Eggsy sighed and got up.

“What d’you need?”

“Which wallpaper looks best?”

She held up two samples and Eggsy felt his insides shrivel up and die.

“Mum, I don’t…I don’t know.”

“Eggsy, you’re baby sister will not be a baby forever and I want her to have a room she can grow into.”

“And you wanna do that with,” he looked from one sample to the other, “cartoon animals or pink bows?”

Michelle Unwin looked distraught, “This was so easy when you were a child Eggsy. When you dad was alive.”

Eggsy barely remembered his childhood room in the days before Dean. He was pretty sure it was blue. He had a feeling that wouldn’t make the situation better. The look on his mother’s face told him this was definitely more about their past than it was about the bedroom.

“I’m um…I’m going to check on Daisy.”

He hastily left his mother to her wallpaper samples and went to his sister’s room. Daisy was down for her nap and showed no sign of waking up. Still, Eggsy needed to get away from memories of his father. And of the man who tried to make up for his father’s death by making Eggsy a Kingsman.

Harry Hart was gone. After the incident in the church and V-Day, his body was swept up in the chaos and likely wound up in one of the unmarked graves for the unidentified bodies. He didn’t have any next of kin, and by the time the Kingsman organization helped restore order to the global catastrophe that was most of the world leaders’ heads blowing up, Harry’s body had been lost in the shuffle and likely already put in the ground.

Eggsy tried not to think about that. Hell, part of the reason he’d taken so many missions was to specifically avoid thinking about all that. And now he was very aware that his family was living in Harry’s old house, that he had Harry’s old code name, and he was living the life that Harry should have continued to live.

“The fuck am I going to do?” he sighed, rubbing his face with his hands, “stupid fucking Merlin…”

“Eggsy,” he was called from the other room, “Eggsy, come in here.”

He came back into the main room to find his mom staring at the TV, mesmerized by a decorating show.

“Maybe wallpaper isn’t the way to go. Maybe I should paint the room purple.”

“Mum…” he sighed, taking the remote out of her hand and began flipping channels, “take a break. Go for a walk. Come back to this when you aren’t so…”

He paused at the news and found his voice had escaped him. The scroll at the bottom of the screen read ‘Massacre at Kentucky Hospital’ and there were several blurry photos of body bags and people running.

 “No one knows who is responsible for the attack, but there is a report that there are seventy five confirmed deaths and twelve injured,” the anchor said.

“Oh my god,” Michelle covered her mouth in shock.

More photos of the crowd, and even though it was blurry, Eggsy could have sworn he’d seen…

“I have to make a call,” he went upstairs, taking two at a time and locked the door to his room—Harry’s old room—behind him. He put on his glasses and earpiece and tapped the side.

“ _Merlin_ pick the hell up,” he whispered fiercely.

“You saw the news,” was the tired sounding response.

“That was _him_ , right?”

There was a pause and then a loud beeping noise that made Eggsy jump out of his skin.

“The fuck was that?”

“I set up a private line. One that Kingsman doesn’t know about. If you don’t hear that sound-”

“-you mean the one that nearly deafened me-”

“-don’t talk.”

“So you set up a private line for the two of us…?”

“In the event that something like this happened.”

“I thought you said the odds of him being alive were… none. None. No odds of life after getting shot in the head.”

“With no body, there is never a guarantee.”

“So you knew this was going to happen?”

“I didn’t know anything. Galahad—the…former Galahad—was always very resourceful. If he wanted to drop off the grid after what he did in the church I figured it would be best not to interfere. Let him retire quietly.”

“And you call _that_ quiet?”

“Someone obviously found him.”

“Why was he in the hospital?”

“Galahad, I don’t know. I don’t know, but I know that we need to find him.”

“So I have a mission.”

“I’ll get you your plane tickets. Let’s just…keep this between the two of us. Private line only. We don’t need anyone else sticking their nose in this until we’re sure what the situation is.”

“So not even Percival…?”

Percival and Merlin were temporarily filling the role of Arthur together until they could appoint someone officially.

“What Percival doesn’t know won’t hurt him as long as he keeps not knowing.”

“So no telling Roxy.”

“Eggsy, if you tell anyone about this, we are both in a lot of trouble.”

“So no telling anyone.”

“Pack a bag. And private line only.”

The line went dead and Eggsy sighed. For better or for worse, it looked like he was getting his mentor back. Eggsy sincerely hoped it was the former.


	2. 2

**Two**

Eggsy didn’t want to make assumptions, but the fact that the massacre at the hospital reminded him of Harry’s church visit did not bode well.

“You should see it in here, Merlin,” Eggsy muttered, waving his flashlight around, “like a bomb went off.”

 “The news reports all say a person did this.”

“They say who?”

“A patient.”

“Merlin, d’you think…”

“That is could have been Harry? I’m certainly not ruling it out, which only means we need to find him before the authorities do.”

“Well, there’s nothing here,” he sighed, looking around the remains of the hospital.

“We know Harry left the hospital during the chaos, so he won’t be with the relocated patients. I’ve pulled a medical record for an unidentified man who had been shot in the head shortly before V-Day.”

“Harry.”

“So it would seem. He was in a coma until approximately a week ago when he woke up. There were…no problems with him. He was quiet, well behaved and mostly wanted to be left alone.”

“So it couldn’t have been Harry that did this.”

He ducked under the police tape blocking the door and turned into an alleyway.

“No, but there were other patients. Well, one other, mainly.”

“Oh?”

“A V-Day victim. Mary Oliver. Died technically, but was resuscitated. Came out of a coma a few days after Harry…”

“And went crazy?”

“Increasing anger issues, yes. She’s not on any patient transfer records. Disappeared when Harry did.”

“Right, look through security footage in the area. See if you can find anything on her-”

“-already on….it, Galahad you aren’t alone.”

Eggsy spun around, no one behind him. No one in front of him.

“Above you. The seniors’ residence next door. It’s been evacuated after the incident but there’s someone inside watching you from a window.”

“Is that someone Harry?” he began working his way towards the back.

“The footage is dark. Two of the three security cameras on that floor are out.”

“Lucky me.”

He broke in the backway and looked around. It looked like the janitor’s cart was still there, abandoned as well as a few odd walkers and canes.

He stepped through the doors into the main area of the residence. The security desk was empty, paper everywhere…but the screen was on. That didn’t have to mean anything, of course. But then again, it could have meant something.

“Merlin, the computer at the security desk. Who’s been accessing it?”

“It was left logged in when the building was evacuated. Last few uses _were_ afterwards…” he paused, “looking up news updates on the hospital investigation.”

“So someone wants to be close by…” Eggsy mumbled.

“Let’s just hope that someone is on our side.”

Eggsy headed towards the stairs and walked up slowly, ears on alert for any hint of noise.

“The person watching you was on the third floor,” Merlin said.

He went up the stairs and onto the third floor. There was a janitor’s closet right next to the door—locked tight. He gingerly tested the first residential room. Also locked. He sighed and kicked it in, looking around.

The rooms were small, quaint and decorated in that dark, muted pink that older people seemed to enjoy. He’d have to make sure that shade wasn’t part of the wallpaper samples when he got home.

He moved on to the next room. And the room after that, down the hall and peaking briefly into the lives of the people who once lived there…until he reached the second to last room at the end of the hall.

Everything looked more or less normal. That is, until he peaked into the bathroom.

Eggsy wasn’t sure whether he wanted this to be Harry or not. Blood in the sink meant a lot of things, and very few of them were good options. Either it was Harry’s blood and he was hurt. Or it wasn’t his blood and someone else was hurt…possibly by Harry.

He pulled out a swab and mopped up a bit of blood, put it back in the tube and clicked it shut.

“Sending you a sample, Merlin.”

“Analyzing it now. You should get out of there if the room is…”

Eggsy didn’t catch the end of that. He caught a flicker of something in the mirror and turned on his heel, gun already out and in front of him.

“Hello?” he paused, listening, “Harry?”

And then he was kicked in the face, sending him backwards into the bathroom toilet.

“Galahad, that blood isn’t Harry’s.”

“ _Thanks_ Merlin,” he ground out, springing back to his feet and lashing out with his right hand. He missed the woman, but did hit the lights, which clearly didn’t go over well. She hid her face at the sudden light, allowing Eggsy to land a solid punch, sending her back out into the hallway and knocking her out.

“I’m assuming this is the patient?”

“That’s Mary,” Merlin confirmed.

“Should I bring her in? Since this is all off the record?”

Eggsy turned Mary over. She was older than his mum, but with long red hair. Greying roots were starting to show after months of being in the hospital, but Eggsy could tell she had probably once been very beautiful, in a suburban housewife kind of way.

“Set your watch to truth serum. Question her when she wakes up.”

Eggsy pulled his sleeve back and a voice cut him off, “I wouldn’t do that.”

There was a man in the doorway—well, slumped against the doorway with a bloody nose. His clothes didn’t belong to him and hung very loose off his frame, but it was most definitely Harry Hart.

“Harry?” Eggsy’s hands fell to his side, “Oh my fucking god, Harry you’re…”

“Alive. You shouldn’t have come.”

“I shouldn’t have come?” Eggsy all but choked out, “Harry, you fucking died! I watched you _die_.”

“And you should have let me stay dead,” Harry was trembling.

“No, _you_ should have fucking _said something_.”

Eggsy didn’t think he’d be angry. He thought he’d be relieved, that there would be an emotional reunion or at least…an explanation of some kind. Not…whatever _this_ was. Not a fight.

“Eggsy,” his hands were trembling as he reached out for him, “Eggsy, this is bigger than Kingsman. This is something that I need you safely _away_ from…”

“How ‘bout you let me be the judge of what I can handle. And how the hell have I made you proud. You haven’t _been_ there when you could have been.”

A flash of guilt crossed Harry’s face, “You’re right. But we have bigger problems.”

“Like what?”

“Mary here is going to wake up and no amount of truth serum is going to help deal with what she wants.”

“And what does she want?”

“To kill. Everyone.”

Eggsy blinked, “Oh.”


	3. 3

Three

They handcuffed Mary to a chair, since Harry shot down the initial plan of an interrogation.

“You need to explain what’s happening,” Eggsy said.

“I…I don’t know where to begin.”

“Let’s start with the hospital. Did you do that?”

“No.”

“Did Mary do that?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I told you, she wants to kill.”

“But why? No one just kills seventy five people for shits and giggles unless they’re like a serial killer or something.”

“I didn’t say it was for fun, Eggsy, I said it was something she wanted to do. It was a hunger.”

Eggsy shook his head and sat down on the couch. It smelled kind of like oatmeal. He _needed_ to get out of this residence.

“So she just has the urge to kill. Like some animal?”

Harry winced at that, but nodded.

“Right. That’s something to go on. Merlin, you sure there was nothing like this in her previous medical history?”

“Nothing before V-Day,” he confirmed tightly. He still hadn’t reacted to one of his oldest friends coming back from the dead.

“So what’s the plan?” Eggsy asked.

“There is no plan. I have control over this situation.”

“Oh yeah, you with your secrets and your stolen grandpa clothes. You really have things under control!”

“Both of you stop it!” Merlin snapped. Eggsy jumped. Harry, who couldn’t hear Merlin, simply looked wounded by the accusation.

“Now, I have a theory. But it’s a theory that needs a brain scan.”

Eggsy rolled his eyes, “And how am I going to do that when all she wants to do is murder people?”

“Not Mary’s brain. Harry’s.”

“Why?”

“Because I think whatever she’s suffering from is impacting him too.”

Eggsy paused and looked Harry up and down. He still looked the same, save for the scar on his forehead and the scruffy facial hair. But he was obviously trembling, twitchy, eyes darting back and forth like he wanted to escape. Or lunge.

Catching Eggsy’s eye, he swallowed and smiled, “Merlin’s a smart man.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Why could I… _how_ could I say anything about this?”

“By talking. Using your stupid face.”

“Don’t taunt the man who wants to hurt people, Eggsy.”

“I’m not. I’m poking fun at my mentor who I thought was dead and who I know would never hurt me.”

Harry shook his head, “No, but…”

“Mother _fucker_.”

The two of them turned. Mary was awake and very angry.

“Mary, we talked about this. You need to control yourself.”

“Oh, fuck you Harry you know _what this feels like_.”

She rocked backwards, slamming the chair down against the floor. It wasn’t exactly built to withstand a rage-fuelled murder and the legs already began to splinter.

“Eggsy, go.”

“No, I’m not leaving you behind again.”

“Eggsy, please I don’t want you to see whatever happens next.”

“I think I can stomach it.”

Mary let out another yell and the chair collapsed beneath her. The chair arms were still chained to her wrists, but that didn’t stop her from trying to pounce. Harry intervened, slamming her against the bookcase. A few photo albums fell down and Mary tried to run her fingernails down Harry’s face. He arched backwards and punched her. It was enough to send her sprawling to the floor, but Harry didn’t stop. He punched her again. And again. And Again. And again.

“Stop. _Harry_. Harry _stop_ ,” Eggsy grabbed his hand and Harry swung him off with a snarl, before his face fell. He could see tears prick the corner of his eyes and he looked down at what he’d done.

“Eggsy. Eggsy I’m sorry I…I…” he scrambled backwards, “there is something wrong with me.”

“It’s alright,” Eggsy swallowed, “It’s alright, we’ll fix this. We will.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone…”

“We’ll fix this,” Eggsy repeated, “let me take you home. Please.”

Harry was shaking. Eggsy wasn’t sure if it was from grief or resisting the urge to lash out again. Possibly both. 

“Thank you Eggsy.”

“Go wash up,” Eggsy said, “Merlin is going to get us a plane. He’ll take a look at you. He’ll…he’ll make you better.”

Harry nodded mutely and went to the bathroom, leaving Eggsy very much alone with a corpse and his thoughts. And Merlin, who was being oddly silent given the situation.

“Merlin, I need you to promise me something.”

“Yes, Galahad.”

“Don’t tell Percival about this. Not yet. I…I don’t know how we’ll keep this a secret in the labs, but we need to try. I don’t…I don’t want anyone to see him this way.”

“Agreed. Just between us. Just…get him home, Eggsy.”

“I will. Promise.”


	4. Chapter 4

Four

The lowest levels of Kingsman headquarters were Merlin’s domain, and he kept Harry on the very bottom floor. The floor was polished wood, but everything else was wall to wall dark metal. Even the small cot shoved into the corner looked gloomy.

“What is this room?” Eggsy asked.

“I’ve faked the footage. No one’s used this room in years. It’s a spare panic room.”

“I thought the panic room was two floors up,” Harry commented stiffly.

“That’s why I said it’s a spare. No one will be surprised to see the same thing over and over again in here. It’s been nothing for about thirty years now anyways,” he sighed, “I’ll work out a way to get a scan of your brain first thing tomorrow. We’ve had a few training exercises get a bit more exciting that they were supposed to, so the medical equipment has been getting a lot of use. If we do this right, no one will notice anything is off.”

“And then…things will be alright,” Eggsy supplied, feeling entirely useless.

“Until then, I suggest we all get some rest.”

“Yes, I’ll sleep nicely in my prison cell,” Harry said bitterly.

“Don’t look at it that way. Look at it as a practical solution to the fact that no one else knows your alive,” Merlin said lightly, “Also, Eggsy is living in your house and I don’t think a crying baby will help your situation.”

Harry’s eyes simply darted back and forth between Eggsy and Merlin before he sighed, “I know. I’m sorry, I-”

“-It’s fine,” Eggsy said quickly, “we’ll just let you…get some sleep.”

“Things will start to make sense in the morning.”

The two of them left, and Eggsy swatted Merlin in the chest the moment the elevator doors closed.

“This will make sense in the morning?” he hissed.

“It’s not every day a friend comes back a murderous lunatic,” he countered.

“He wants to recover though. He’s not like…like Mary was when she took out the hospital.”

They reached Merlin’s office. Eggsy sat himself down in one of the chair and rubbed his eyes. It felt like he’d aged thirty years in one night.

“I have…” Merlin paused, “I have a private feed of the room.”

“I ain’t looking for a trip to the zoo, Merlin.”

Merlin let out a sigh, “No, but we do have to observe him. To study his behaviour.”

He picked up the clipboard, tapped it a few times, and held it up. Harry was raging, punching the walls and screaming, venting his never ending frustration.

“We need to fix him.”

“My theory is that this somehow has to do with V-Day.”

“But if that was true, the entire world would be crazy.”

“That’s why we need his brain scan. To see what makes this different.”

Eggsy watched his mentor let out a soundless yell and ram himself into the wall again, and tried to ignore the creeping feeling that was currently crawling up his spine. This wasn’t Harry he knew. This was the Harry that massacred a church.

“We’ll get him back,” Merlin said, “Eggsy, I promise you, we will.”

The next day, neither Eggsy nor Merlin mentioned what they saw on the feed to Harry, who at some point during the night had managed to get himself back under control.

“Did you go home last night?” Harry asked.

“Yeah,” Harry lied. The truth was he’d stayed with Merlin in front of the screen, both of them too worried to consider sleeping.

“If we want to get a scan of your brain, Harry, we’ll need to move quickly. The medical area is booked solid,” Merlin said, leading them down the hall.

“Solid?” Harry asked.

“Percival’s a hard ass,” Eggsy sighed, “works us like dogs.”

“Percival is in charge?”

“Percival and Merlin are in charge. Percival doesn’t know about all this yet.”

“That’s…helpful,” Harry nodded as the three of them entered the room.

“Eggsy, you watch the door. This shouldn’t take too long.”

Eggsy almost protested, but figured the faster this went, the faster they’d be on the way to curing Harry. Besides, he figured if Harry lost control on Merlin, the screaming would be a good enough sign that he was needed.

No one tried to get in, though he did have to wave awkwardly to Amelia, who didn’t bother to acknowledge him. Once she was done pretending to be a recruit, she was really good at ignoring people. Weird how pretending to drown did that to a person. Or maybe it was because they forced her to pretend to drown? Eggsy didn’t really care at that point—he wasn’t a recruit anymore.

The door opened a crack and Merlin peered out, “All clear?”

Eggsy nodded and the two of them emerged, Harry looking wary. The trip back to the panic room was mercifully clear. Merlin sighed, looking over his notes while Eggsy sat on the edge of the cot. Harry simply stood there, oddly still.

“I told you, Eggsy, that I had a theory and I do believe this is leaning towards proving it,” Merlin sighed, “Harry, I think you may want to sit down.”

“I really doubt it,” he said dryly.

Merlin paused, then took a deep breath, “Harry, I think Valentine’s SIM card did this to you. I compared your current scan with an older one in your file, and there is a difference.”

“But that can’t be it,” Eggsy said, “otherwise the whole world would be…well…”

“Homicidal?” Harry supplied helpfully.

“That’s not what I…Merlin?”

“You’re right of course, which is where my theory comes in. Harry, you died.”

“…Temporarily.”

“But it was still death. Now, I think that having that death so closely follow your….altered state of mind made the change permanent.”

“But he was norm… _not_ effected when he…” Eggsy trailed off, “Mary died while brainwashed. Harry didn’t.”

“Perhaps, but the brain’s not a light switch, Eggsy. You can’t simply switch it from one state to another so quickly. There is likely a…a buffer period of sorts needed for the brain to fully adjust.”

“And I didn’t make it,” Harry looked tired.

“It’s only a theory,” Merlin added hastily, “we’ll need to sneak you in for more tests and I can work on a cure.”

“And what if there is no cure?”

Eggsy stood, moving to stand next to Harry, “’course there will be. Merlin’s great with this sort of thing.”

“I don’t think denial is what I need right now, Eggsy.”

“You also shouldn’t just give up,” Eggsy said quietly, “I know bad people. Violent people. Harry, you’re a good person.”

Harry took a few steps away from Eggsy, a small action that felt like Harry had punched him in the gut.

“Fine,” Eggsy said, “Fine, it’s my fucking week off anyways.”

“Eggsy…” Merlin sighed.

“No. If he’s so scared to be around me, than I just won’t be around.”

“For goodness’ sake Eggsy don’t be a child,” Harry sighed.

“You died disappointed in me. Did that stay in your brain too?” Eggsy moved back over to him, closer than he was before, “is this what you are? Stuck? You’re not even going to fight it, you’re just going to give in?”

The awkward silence hung in the air. Eggsy mentally cursed himself—he wanted to keep that particular fear inside. He stole a glance at Merlin, whose face remained carefully neutral, before looking back to his mentor. Harry slowly turned to look back at Eggsy.

“I didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?”

“I didn’t die disappointed in you,” he said quietly.

“…this is all very sweet,” Merlin said dryly, “but I have agents whose missions I need to handle and you, Eggsy, are still technically off for the week. Harry, I’ll try and squeeze you in for more tests as soon as possible.”

“But in the meantime I’m to stay here?”

“There is no other choice.”

Harry nodded and went back to his cot.

“I…I can bring you back something. If you want,” Eggsy supplied, “A…a magazine or…”

“It’s alright Eggsy,” his smile was tired, “it’s like you’ve been saying. I’ll be fine.”

Eggsy smiled back and nodded. Of course he would be.

 

 


	5. Five

Five

“Well, that was certainly something,” Merlin sighed when they returned to his office, “How long were you keeping that in?”

“Shut up, Merlin.”

“He’s under a lot of stress-”

“-I know that-”

“-and so are you, obviously. Harry cares a great deal for you. I want you to spend more time with him.”

Eggsy blinked, “What?”

“Not a lot of time, but more. Talk to him. Bring him…magazines, like you suggested. I think having a sense of normalcy will be beneficial. I don’t want him to feel like he’s in a cage.”

“Merlin…do you really think you can find a cure?”

“I don’t really have a choice, now do I?” Merlin’s smile was thin-lipped, “He likes chocolate.”

“You want me to bring Harry Hart magazines…and chocolate?”

Merlin nodded, heading towards his computer, “See if we can appeal to his more…conventional urges. Now go. I’ll call you if anything changes.”

Eggsy went home, choosing to give his mother an extra-long hug. There was something about watching a rational adult going insane that made him feel pretty affectionate towards the adults in his life that weren’t.

“Everything alright, Eggsy?”

Eggsy sighed and shook his head, “No.”

“But you’re not going to talk about it?”

“…no.”

Michelle Unwin sighed, “You’ve been so quiet lately.”

“Yeah, well, it happens sometimes,” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “How’s Daisy’s room coming?”

“I’ve settled on purple.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Which means I’ll need you here to help me paint.”

“Mum, I’ll just hire a painter-”

“-no don’t be silly. We can do it. Think about how much more she’ll appreciate it.”

“She’s a baby, mum. I don’t think she cares.”

His mother sighed and sat down, “You’re never here. You’re never around and when you are you’re so angry all the time.”

“I’ve just been…stressed,” Eggsy paused, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Have you felt anything similar to V-Day…since that day?”

She looked shocked, “No! Absolutely not. Have you?”

Michelle was under the impression that he son was similarly effected that day. Eggsy never bothered to correct her. That would just lead towards more questions.

“No. But I know someone who…” he sighed, “he’s been a bit different lately. Was wondering if maybe that’s why.”

“It’s been months, Eggsy. I think if he’s changed, it’s from something else.”

“Thanks mum,” he smiled, “I’ll order us dinner. From that place you like, ‘round the corner?”

“Sounds nice,” she smiled, “and then we can go over paint samples.”

Eggsy sighed and managed a smile and a nod. Dealing with decorating, after the day he’d had, suddenly didn’t seem so bad.


	6. Six

Six

Eggsy spent every afternoon of his time off with Harry, and though his mentor went through a barrage of psychological and physical tests, there was no sign of his bloodlust waning.

Of course, he kept that under control as best he could around Eggsy. However, when he came in on Friday to find Merlin nursing a black eye, he knew that Harry was perhaps not as in control as he thought.

Merlin shook his head, “It was my fault, really. Should have known better than to go in when he was raging.”

He was _still_ raging, Eggsy noted, looking over Merlin’s shoulder at the private feed on his clipboard, ramming himself against the wall and screaming.

“How long has he been at it?”

“I played back the footage…about an hour now.”

“Shit.”

“Normally if I catch him…like this…I don’t go in until he regains control but this is the longest he’s gone. I wanted to see if he was responsive.”

“Well, he responded all over your face,” Eggsy bit his lip, “he’ll tire out eventually though. Daisy always tires out from her tantrums.”

“Yes, but Daisy doesn’t want to kill people.”

“And that just shows how much you don’t know about toddlers,” Eggsy sighed, “speaking of which, if you know anything about decorating, mum would certainly appreciate the help…”

“I think we have bigger things to deal with.”

“You’d think so.”

They both continued to watch Harry in silence, until a thought occurred to Eggsy. He knew immediately it was a terrible one, but he couldn’t avoid suggesting it.

“Merlin…”

“Absolutely not.”

“You a mind reader now?”

“Eggsy, giving Harry what he wants-”

“-to go outside-”

“ -Could potentially be a huge setback for him. Not to mention a risk to others. He needs to be cured first, so he doesn’t devolve into this in public.”

“I’m not saying he goes back on duty. I’m just saying a walk around the courtyard or a quick run to the store with me.”

“Only for an hour?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

“Merlin.”

“Absolutely not and that’s my final word on the matter.”

“I brought him more chocolate.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate the sentiment, even if he doesn’t appreciate the taste.”

“I also brought paint samples.”

“Seriously?”

“Someone has to help me. And if that someone’s a crazy person-”

“-Eggsy-”

“-than that’s fine.”

Merlin sighed, “If I look at the paint samples, will you promise not to show them to Harry.”

“Sure,” he produced two strips from his pocked, “pick a purple.”

Merlin studied them both carefully and pointed to the lighter one in his left hand, “That one.”

“ _Spring bloom_ ,” Eggsy read the back, “good choice.”

“Glad I could be of service.”

Eggsy glanced back at the screen, where it appeared Harry was finally tiring himself out. Instead he curled up on his little cot and hid his face in his hands. In some ways, watching him sob like that was worse than watching him get angry.

“I’m going to go in there and talk to him.”

“Now? I don’t think that’s wise.”

“And I think I need to talk to him. He’s not…” Eggsy took a deep breath, “he’s not improving.”

“I don’t know if he ever will.”

“He doesn’t know that either. I don’t want him to be alone.”

Merlin smiled softly, “You love him, don’t you?”

Eggsy opened his mouth and closed it, before shaking his head, “I want him to be as alright as he could be. And if that means letting him out and about under controlled conditions, I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Merlin didn’t press the matter of Eggsy’s feelings, which was probably for the best. Eggsy knew he had a crush on his mentor—anyone with a working set of eyes and ears adored Harry Hart. Still, he was surprised just how happy he was to have him back, and how desperate he was to get things back to the way they were, not just to clear his own conscience (their last fight had kept him up at night more than once), but because…because Harry deserved it. He deserved better than this.

Merlin pursed his lips and let out a long sigh through his nose, “I have an idea, but I don’t think he’ll enjoy it.”

As with many things, Merlin was definitely right about Harry not enjoying his idea.

“Sedation?” Harry repeated, looking indignant, “I’m not a wild animal, Merlin.”

“Maybe not, but it is one way we can guarantee the safety of others, and quite frankly it’s the only way I’d feel comfortable letting you outside,” Merlin checked his watch, “Look, it’s just an hour until sundown. Once everyone’s gone home for the night, we can do a quick loop around the courtyard, just you and me.”

Eggsy did his best not to look wounded. After all, Merlin was Harry’s friend, they had seen each other in worse states than sedation. Harry probably didn’t want Eggsy to see him as a sedated mess. Still, seeing Harry finally out and about what something he was looking forward to.

“Fine,” Harry said, “fine. I need fresh air.”

“And I need to get ready for tomorrow,” Eggsy glanced at Merlin, “unless I’m still being forced on vacation?”

Merlin shook his head, “No, I believe you’ve had quite enough vacation to last a lifetime.”

“Then Roxy’ll want to train tomorrow morning,” he smirked at Harry, “you have fun on your night out. I’ll…I’ll come by when I can.”

“Have a good night, Eggsy.”

Eggsy spent the rest of the evening imagining Harry, speech slurred and steps slow, taking in his first bit of fresh air in a long time. It made him smile slightly, even if he couldn’t be with him to enjoy it.


End file.
